Lemons for "Stonewall" Jackson - Lexington, VA - Urban Legends and Superstitions on Waymarking.com

Tourists who visit Jackson's gravesite often leave lemons as a tribute.

Jackson was very concerned about his health and followed a strict diet which emphasized fruits and vegetables. Although he enjoyed almost every variety of fruit, he had no special fondness for lemons; in fact, peaches were his favorite. Civil War historian James I. Robertson, Jr., Jackson's biographer, states that "no member of Jackson's staff, no friend, not even his wife ever mentioned Jackson had a particular penchant for lemons," and refers to the "lemon myth." It is true that Jackson was observed eating lemons on several occasions during the war; this was due only to the fact that he ate whatever fruit was available. When the Confederates captured a Union camp, lemons were sometimes among the food stores that they confiscated; the Union soldiers received lemons and other fruits more frequently than did their Confederate counterparts. Despite the historical inaccuracy, the story remains popular. (Reference VMI website link below)

Another piece of trivia is that not all of Stonewall Jackson was even buried here! His amputated arm was buried over near the Chancellorsville Battlefield. Rev. Lacy buried the arm in the family plot, which was located about a mile from the field hospital where Jackson was initially treated. There is a marker noting the location of the arm at the site. (See Waymark WM1VRD).